Revelations: Titans Together
by shanealt
Summary: The Teen Titans have always been about the next generation of heroes being trained to one day succeed their adult role models. Now, the Titans continue to grow, bringing in more members from around the globe. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 are up!
1. Weekenders

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

Author's Note #2: The first chapter is somewhat AU, based on the fact that it takes place in a merged universe where the Justice League and the Teen Titans shows are in the same timeline. Don't ask. I promise it shouldn't ruin the story.

**Weekenders**

"The training areas are located on the fifth level," Robin was saying, his voice ringing through the Tower with a note of command. "All food in the refrigerator is available whenever you'd like, and all facilities previously mentioned are also yours to use. You've already seen your own rooms." He turned, glancing over at Cyborg, who stood at his left. "Did I forget anything?" Robin asked his friend.

Cyborg thought for a moment. "No," he said finally, "I think you covered all the important points."

"Okay then," the Boy Wonder said, turning back to the group before him. "You've heard my speech. Any questions?"

"Yeah," came the reply from the girl directly in front of Robin. "Can you remind these half-wits why we're here?" As she finished speaking, Supergirl turned her head to glance at the group behind her. Three teenagers with extraordinary abilities...and they barely seemed able to concentrate. Supergirl sighed.

The dark face of Virgil Hawkins, the Dakota City champion code-named Static Shock, brightened immediately while he laughed, playing with his electric abilities to send violet lightning around the room in an impressive display. To the side, the twin sisters Hawk and Dove were engaged in conversation, completely engrossed in what the other was saying that they seemed to be ignoring everything around them.

Robin gave a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands. Supergirl seemed competent enough, but the others...it was like they hadn't a care in the world. Taking a deep breath, he looked up again. "If I could have your attention, please," he said with a certain amount of stress. "You're all here as per request of the Justice League," he said in response to Supergirl's question, trying to get the others to listen to him. "Although they understand that you're part of the next generation of heroes, the League thinks all of you need more training--with people your own age. So, they contacted us, and we invited you to join the Titans." It was really a rather simple concept, but for some reason, only Supergirl was understanding it. Perhaps that was because she was the only one actually paying attention.

"And how's that going to work, oh fearless leader?" Static Shock asked with flair, pulling his electrical display back. "After all, none of us actually live in Jump City, if you recall. We've got responsibilities back home--school, for one."

"Like you concentrate at all on school," Hawk murmured under her breath, earning a disapproving glare from her sister.

"You guys are part of the new Titans classification, the Weekenders," Robin said. He had gone through this at least twice before, and was starting to get sick of this conversation. "You'll live in your hometowns from Monday to Friday. Then, after school on Friday, you'll come here and help us out in Jump City, returning home Sunday night."

Static Shock opened his mouth, about to ask another question, but before he could finish, red lights began to flash in the Tower, and a loud alarm began to sound. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened, but..."What's that?" the Dakota hero asked.

Hawk opened her mouth to let out a harsh comment, but Dove was able to stop her sister just in time.

"It's our alarm system," Cyborg said, running to the computers.

"What is it this time?" Beast Boy asked, trying to peer over Cyborg's shoulder. "Plasmus? Mad Mod? Doctor Light?"

"Oh, I do hope that it is not Johnny Rancid or Atlas!" Starfire cried out, remembering her particularly unpleasant experiences with those two villains from recent times.

"No," Cyborg said. "According to the report, it's Mammoth. He's attacking a downtown store."

"Let's go trash him, then," Static Shock said fervently.

"For once, you actually said something smart," Hawk agreed, feeling the power of Chaos in her veins. She loved to battle.

"Mammoth's a second-rate villain," Cyborg said. "We can handle him easily on our own, but you guys should use the time to train and get situated in the Tower. The five of us can take care of him, no problem."

"What? Why?" Supergirl asked.

"Cyborg's right," Robin said. "It'll be more beneficial for you guys to train here for today. You should run the training simulation for Brother Blood. You'll get a good workout while we're gone."

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"They didn't like that very much," Raven noted. The Titans were flying through Jump City. Beast Boy, in the form of a pterodactyl, carried Robin on his back, while Starfire easily carried Cyborg with her strength.

"It's better that they stay at the Tower," Robin replied. "They wouldn't get any fighting experience here. I doubt we even need all five of us to take him."

"Speaking of Mammoth," Raven said, "Does anyone else think it's weird that he's attacking a store? It's not his usual M.O. I don't think I've ever heard of Mammoth acting independently from the H.I.V.E."

"Let's ask him, then," Cyborg replied through clenched teeth, spotting the villain in the streets. "If you'll excuse me," he said politely to Starfire, letting go of her hands and plummeting down towards Mammoth. The villain looked up just in time to see Cyborg slam directly into him.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, leaping from Beast Boy's back and twirling his staff. When Mammoth stood back up, hurling Cyborg off of him, Robin leapt forward, slapping the villain with the large metal pole.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven intoned, weaving together her spell into a powerful telekinetic charge, grabbing a mailbox to hurl at Mammoth. The brute was shoved down as the object crashed into his back.

"He's down!" Robin shouted. "Rush him!" As he ran forward, however, the mailbox was hurled forward, knocking him back as Mammoth stood up, a grim look on his face. Grabbing a lamppost, the behemoth swung his newfound weapon, knocking Cyborg and Raven to the ground.

"Do not hurt my friends any more!" Starfire shouted, pelting the villain with her Starbolts. Mammoth shouted as he was knocked backwards by the energy onslaught...and he fell right underneath Beast Boy, in the form of an elephant. Letting out a triumphant bellow, the green creature stomped it's foot onto the villain.

"Did we beat him?" Raven asked groggily, letting her healing powers get rid of her wounds. When that was finished, she reached over to heal Cyborg before moving on to Robin.

"Yeah," Beast Boy said, reverting to human form. "He's out cold."

"Good," Starfire said, starting to fly to Robin's side. "Then we shall take him to jail and--" But the Tamaranean princess said no more, falling to the ground in a blast of lightning.

"Starfire!" Beast Boy shouted, running forward. But as he did, violet energy coursed in front of him, and the little green Titan fell on his face in the street.

"I've gotta admit," came a familiar voice, "You guys took down Mammoth a lot easier than we thought you would. But I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? He was, after all, only the appetizer. We're the main course." Robin, jumping up, looked over and saw a rather something rather unpleasant. Jinx, Gizmo, Private HIVE and See-More stood over the fallen forms of Starfire and Beast Boy. "After all," Jinx continued, "You do owe us a rematch after last time. Using that 'mother' spirit to beat us just wasn't fair."

"The H.I.V.E. Five," Robin grimaced.

"That's right," Jinx replied, "And unlike last time, you're not getting away from us so easily."

"Speaking of getting away," Cyborg shouted out, "How'd you get away from Mother Mae-Eye? She's not exactly easy to beat."

"We had a little help," Gizmo admitted. "Our new Headmistress is quite proficient."

"Your new Headmistress?" Robin asked.

"Oh, yes," Gizmo replied with a toothy grin. "And she wants to meet you all...personally."

Guns erupted from the ground suddenly, barraging the Titans with an onslaught of plasma energy, designed to knock them unconscious. Raven and Robin fell to the ground after a short time, but Cyborg rushed forward, his sonic cannon forming on his arm.

"Naughty naughty," Private HIVE reprimanded as he stepped forward. "Our Headmistress gave us strict instructions, and you're not going to avoid this meeting." Stepping to the side, he hurled his fist at Cyborg's face as the Titan rushed forward...and then, for Cyborg, everything went black.

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"I can't believe we lost to a simulation," Dove said, wincing as she stood up from the floor of the training simulator. At Robin's suggestion, the Weekenders had run the Brother Blood program, thoroughly prepared to beat it with ease.

"We were trounced," Hawk said bitterly, using the wall for support. "We were bloody trounced. And all because of him," she said, jabbing her finger at Static Shock.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" he protested. "Supergirl's the one that designed that crappy plan."

"It wasn't a 'crappy plan'," Supergirl retorted. "It would have worked just fine is you had done your part instead of running off like a moronic rogue!"

"Come on, guys," Dove intervened. "Can we not fight each other? Let's just run the program again."

"I don't feel like it," Static Shock said shortly, storming over to the door. "I'm gonna go watch some TV." With the press of a button, the door opened, and he walked out.

"I really don't like him," Hawk confided to her sister, who just shook her head.

As the other three Weekenders walked upstairs, Static Shock gave a start. "Guys, come over here!" he shouted, his eyes glued to the television set.

"What?" Supergirl asked, walking over. "Did Spongebob do something?" There was a certain bite to her words.

"No," the electric hero said sardonically. "I'm watching a news report about the battle with Mammoth."

"Are the Titans on their way back?" Dove asked.

"Not exactly," Static Shock said. "According to this, the H.I.V.E. kidnapped them."

"Oh, that's just bloody great," Hawk murmured. "The people that are supposed to help us train to be Titans are in the clutches of a villainous organization. The perfect addition to my day."

"We've got to go rescue them," Supergirl offered.

"'Rescue them'?" Dove repeated in an incredulous tone. "We can't even beat a simulation here at the Tower. How do you expect us to rescue the Titans from a group of their long-time enemies?"

"We've just got to work together," Supergirl said. "That's why we lost in the training simulator."

"Great idea, mom," Hawk said sarcastically. "Except that we've got nothing to go on. None of us have exactly fought the H.I.V.E. before."

"No," Supergirl said, thinking, "But the other Titans have. The files here at the computer are sure to have the information we need." She was moving now, flying towards the monitors at a high speed.

"So what do you propose we do?" Dove asked gently.

"Arm ourselves with information," Supergirl said, clicking a button and watching as the computer screen blinked into life. "Learn exactly who our enemies are, formulate a plan...and prove that we have what it takes to be Titans."

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"It's really rather great to see you," the figure said, her light voice emerging from the shadows. "We've met before, of course, but not since I ascended to this position...and never in this sort of situation."

"Who are you?" Robin asked groggily, trying to make sense of the situation he was in. He had awoken moments before, his limbs chained and utility belt gone. With a glance, he was able to surmise that his teammates were in similar situations, their strengths negated and their weaknesses exploited.

"Why, Robin, I'm shocked," the voice replied in mock hurt. Then she laughed, the sound echoing throughout the dark room. "You know me," she continued. "We've met many times, on the field of battle. Perhaps it's the darkness that's confusing you?"

"It is rather dark," he admitted, deciding to feign serenity until he could figure out a way to escape. From the corner of his eye, he saw Starfire, to his left, begin to wake up, and Beast Boy was also starting to stir. Good. Now he just needed the rest of them to wake up.

"Then perhaps I should come closer," the figure said, and even in the dark Robin could see a shadow begin to move, the steps resounding with loud clicks. As the figure approached, and his vision cleared, Robin could begin to make out more details. His eyes opened quite wide when he finally realized who it was.

"Missed me?" Static smirked, nearly posing as she stopped her steady advance. Her blonde hair, cascading past her shoulders, provided a sharp contrast to her dark uniform, garnished with the traditional symbol of the H.I.V.E. As a mark of her status, however, the symbol retained a certain flair that the mundane variety simply could not match. "It's really been too long," the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. said, bending down to take Robin's chin in her fingers, squishing his cheeks together in a contemptuous manner.

"You're the new Headmistress, Static?" Cyborg asked, now alert. "How'd you manage that ascension?"

"Let's not bother ourselves with details, Cyborg," Static dismissed with a wave of her hand, letting go of Robin's face. "After all, it's only the current situation that matters, right? The past is all so murky, anyhow. I don't wish to bore you."

"What do you want, Static?" Starfire asked, an inner glee filling her as the sight of Raven waking up at last.

"That's really quite simple, Starfire," Static said, turning back to the shadows she had started from. "I want to kill you and your friends. You've proven to be very disastrous for our team, you know. Destroying two of our schools...it's been very costly to rebuild after all these times.

"And you think we're just going to let you?" Raven asked crossly.

"Oh, of course not," Static agreed. "But you don't really have much of a choice, do you? Each of you are in certain forms of imprisonment that prevents you from activating your powers. And I wouldn't try weaving together any spells, either," Static warned Raven. "This room is spell-proof. The psychic feedback would be quite disastrous."

"So that's it?" Beast Boy asked, a bead of sweat glistening on his brow. Static was right...their powers were negated. He had tried shapeshifting, but everytime he began to use his powers, a sort of compulsion pushed him back. The strain was incredible.

"That's it," the Headmistress confirmed. She seemed about to say more, but a beeping noise interrupted her train of thought. Glancing down, she removed something from her pocket...a communicator. "Excuse me," she said gently to the Titans, as if trying to be polite, before she stepped to the side, facing the wall. "What is it?" she barked into the phone.

"Mistress," the voice began in a subdued, yet somewhat frantic, manner, "I beg your forgiveness for the interruption...but there's a bit of a problem."

"So take care of it, fool," Static commanded. "I'm the middle of something."

"Forgive me, Mistress," the messenger babbled, "But I think this problem might require your immediate attention."

Static was about to reply when the room suddenly shook. It didn't just vibrate...it seemed to tilt on it's side, and the communicator fell from Static's hands, skidding against the wall, as the Headmistress attempted to brace herself. "Blast it!" she swore. "What could this possibly be?"

---------------------------

"Keep pushing, Hawk," Supergirl commanded, straining as she heaved forward with all the strength at her capacity. And as an Argosian...that was a lot of strength.

"I'm trying my best, Supergirl," the heroine known as Hawk answered through clenched teeth, "But this isn't exactly easy. We're trying to push a building. They're built to stay still for a reason."

"Just keep pushing," the Girl of Steel repeated, glancing to her side briefly. "Static Shock, Dove," she called. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, just peachy," Static Shock replied, leaping into the air, propelled by a blast of electricity. "We're only trying to fight the entire H.I.V.E. army here. No problem."

"Oh, shut up," Dove murmured, leaping into the air with a roundhouse kick to slam two H.I.V.E. soldiers to the ground. "Save your breath for fighting."

The situation wasn't good, Supergirl had to admit. After leaving Titans Tower, the Weekenders had flown to the only known entrance of the current H.I.V.E. Academy. Despite having a number of possible battle plans, they settled for a rather simplistic one--to push the building itself off it's foundation. The retaliation had been immediate, and both Dove and Static Shock were busy fighting for their lives against every able-bodied warrior in the Academy. They had gotten lucky against See-More, taking him down in a surprise strike, and Mammoth was still out of commission, but the rest of the H.I.V.E. Five were out there fighting as well. It wasn't pretty.

"Just die, you twerps!" Gizmo shouted, blasting with a powerful ray gun as he hopped in place, extremely angry. Static Shock, raising his hand, countered with a powerful blast of electricity, resulting in a rather large explosion.

Even as Dakota's champion came up against the miniature machine master, Dove--champion of the Lords of Order--was slamming her fist into Jinx's jaw, countering her hexes with a rather simple solution: preventing her from casting them. "This isn't going to work," she called out to Supergirl. "Sooner of later, one of us is going to make a mistake, and we won't be able to keep these guys off your backs."

"Which is why we have to hurry," Supergirl called to Hawk.

"I'm going as hard as I can!" the Chaos agent growled.

"And you've gone far enough," came a growl from behind them. Turning her head, Supergirl saw the Private HIVE approaching, beefing up his muscles for a rather brutish encounter.

"Keep pushing," Supergirl told Hawk. "I'll handle him." Removing herself from the building's side, Kara flew down to where the soldier stood. "I hear you're strong," she noted in an almost conversational tone.

"I can hold my own," he agreed before leaping forward suddenly.

Supergirl was ready. Stepping to the side with blinding speed, she blasted his back with heat vision, causing his skin to blister. "Argh!" he shouted in pain, turning back to charge again.

"Honestly now," Supergirl chided, "That's not nice, is it?" As Private HIVE swung his fist, preparing to slam her in the jaw, she ducked down, hurling her fist upwards in a sharp uppercut. Private HIVE flew backwards, slumping to the ground unconscious.

"Sorry about that," the Argosian apologized to Hawk, flying back up to resume pushing the building. "There was a pesky little problem."

"Just keep pushing," Hawk said, then flashed a smile.

"What is going on here?" The voice of Static cracked like a whip, causing the battle to momentarily cease. "Get away from my building at once." The electricity mounted in her palm, growing around her body in a shimmering display of power.

"School is out for the summer," Static Shock joked, his own purple lightning growing around him as he prepared to confront the Headmistress.

"You're the one called 'Static Shock'," the H.I.V.E. Mistress noted, glancing at the teenager who approached her. "Stay away from my name." She extended her hand, and the lightning flew forward, a deadly chain. The hero of Dakota was pushed back, his own electric aura dispersing as he fell to the ground, beaten.

"You're the H.I.V.E. Headmistress," Dove acknowledged, stepping forward. "That means this is your school. I assume you don't want it destroyed."

"Of course not, fool," Static sneered.

"Then you'll let our friends go." Dove's words carried a strong note of finality and confidence.

"And why would I possibly do that?"

"Because if you don't," Dove replied, "My friends will tear your school out from the ground. I'm not architect, but I'm pretty sure that buildings don't respond well to that sort of thing."

"You couldn't do that," Static replied angrily, although there were a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"Couldn't we?" Supergirl said from where she hovered. "Hawk and I have been pushing and pulling at your school with our strength for quite some time now. If we wanted to, we could uproot it pretty fast at this point."

"Let the Titans go," Dove said, standing strong. "Once they're out here, we'll let all of you go back inside, and we'll leave."

Static glared at the group with hatred in her eyes. She seemed about to fire off a retort, but instead, she turned her head. "Do it," she barked to a subordinate.

"Yes, Mistress," the soldier replied, a note of surprise in his voice, before running off into the building.

The next few minutes were filled with a booming silence. The Weekenders stared down the remaining soldiers of the H.I.V.E., led by the Headmistress Static. Absolute hatred was in her eyes, but Dove remained calm, knowing that, despite the odds, they--four new recruits to the Titans--had won.

"Here they are, my Mistress," the soldier said, returning with the Titans behind him, still in their various chains and restraints. "What shall we do with them?"

"Let them go," Static said shortly. "We've lost this round."

"Yes, Mistress," the soldier obeyed, releasing the bindings on the Titans.

"Get out of my sight," Static hissed to the Titans. "You may have beaten us, but the next time I see you, I will destroy you."

"Likewise," Raven murmured.

---------------------------

"This calls for a celebration," Cyborg said. After a quick teleportation spell weaved together by Raven, the Titans had been transported back to their home. "Not only did you guys rescue us, but you did it together."

"You've proven that it has what it takes to be Titans," Robin agreed, looking at the Weekenders. All four of them sat on the couch, lounging sheepishly as the leader of the team continued to praise them.

"And what's more," Raven added, "You helped prove to the H.I.V.E. that even though they've gotten stronger...so have we."

"So here's to you guys," Beast Boy said, pouring himself a glass of soda and raising it. "A toast, to the newest members of the Teen Titans."

Their cheers resounded in the night...

---------------------------

Static, the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. Academy, sat in her chair in a darkened room, looking at an object in her hands. Her attendant, a portly little man by the name of Johnson, hesitated as he approached her desk. "Headmistress," Johnson said with a gulp.

"Yes, Johnson?" Static murmured, continuing to glance at the object in her hand.

"Our soldiers are at the ready, Headmistress," the attendant informed her. "They just await your signal."

"Whatever for?" the owner of the school asked, a puzzled frown forming on her face. "I didn't give any command to rally the troops."

Johnson gulped again. Static was always unpredictable, and Johnson was never sure just exactly what position she'd take next. At least with Blood in charge, a person knew where he stood. "It's a strike group, Mistress," the attendant answered, stuttering on the last word. "They're prepared to go and wipe out the Titans."

"Oh," Static said, lounging back in her chair. "Never mind that. Dismantle your strike team, Johnson."

"If I may be so bold to ask, Mistress," Johnson began, "Do you not wish retribution on them? They nearly destroyed yet another of our schools."

"I expected as much," the Headmistress shrugged. "It's no big surprise, really."

"You're just going to let them go, then?" the attendant asked, his tone incredulous.

"You forget yourself, Johnson," Static reminded the trembling man. "And besides," she continued, "Things went exactly as planned. I was able to get a gauge on the power capacity each of the Weekenders held, as well as a certain...key ingredient." As she said these last words, she rubbed her fingers against the object in her palm.

"But, Mistress," Johnson began, before he was interrupted by Static.

"You're dismissed, Johnson," Static said. "You've begun to bore me, and I don't think you want to be around much longer...for the sake of your continued health, you understand."

As the sputtering attendant walked out of the room, livid, Static spun in her chair slightly, raising the object in her hands to the light. It was a vial...a vial filled with a dark liquid, superimposed with small, swirling lights.

"The game has just begun," she murmured to herself...and then, in the darkness of her chamber, the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. laughed...


	2. Warriors of the Sun

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC. The characters Tobias Geminasu, Sai Xiang, and Shadow Darkholme were created by a friend of mine. Yukada was created by me using the theme of Tobias as a basis.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

Warriors of the Sun

In a time of desolution, that magnificent temple stood strong, a dark haven filled with immense power. The beast watched eagerly from his place of power, knowing that entire legions were fighting and dying because of him. He took pleasure in this wanton destruction, noting the strength of his influence. His cold, calculating stare quickly took in everything on the battlefield below, noting that his forces could nearly claim victory. The demonic entity he had summoned seemed incredible in power, and it was with this creature that he decimated the opposing armies. And soon, the beast would reign supreme over all...

---------------------------

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted to his team, directing his team as they engaged in battle. Leaping over a large metal tendril, the Boy Wonder hurled forth one of his explosive energy disks, noting with satisfaction that it quickly crashed into the foe's shell...but his sense of accomplishment quickly turned to chagrin when he saw that the attack had no effect. Kardiak remained strong.

The biological creature had escaped from it's containment cell, wreaking havoc in Jump City with incredible ferocity. The Titans, having been the only ones that could defeat him on previous occasions, rushed to the scene, but things weren't going well.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven chanted, weaving together her spell and releasing a torrent of telekinetic energy at the creature, blasting Kardiak backwards momentarily before one of it's tendrils slammed into her, knocking the child of Trigon to the floor.

"Raven!" Starfire shouted, raging across the room with charged Starbolts and blasting away at the tendril, which had begun to wrap around it's victim. The severed limb of Kardiak began to twitch on the floor before ceasing function, and Starfire landed beside her friend with a grim look on her face. "She is fine," the princess shouted out to Robin, "but I fear Kardiak is very angry!"

"She's right," Cyborg noted grimly, sending another glance towards the foe before he loosed another round of missles. "Kardiak's been beaten by us several times. It probably wants to get revenge."

"We can take him down," Beast Boy promised, shifting into the form of a wolf as he tore into another of Kardiak's tendrils, puncturing it. "You're up, Terra," he called once he had resumed human form.

"Thanks, Beast Boy," the Markovian princess called gratefully to her friend before taking a single step backwards. Standing on one of the powerful ley lines of the Earth, Terra drew in it's natural power, augmenting the strength with which she could manipulate the geological terrain. Pushing at the limits of what the Earth could do, she shoved aside those boundaries and brought forth a large blast of dirt, rocketing forth at tremendous speeds, directly towards Kardiak.

---------------------------

The beast stood at the window, watching the desolation below. "The warriors," he murmered, noting a group progressing through the battle, easily defeating all opposition. Their power was great, and enhanced by their respective talents. The beast smiled. Things would be interesting indeed...

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"Terra!" Beast Boy shouted, rushing to catch her as she fell. Her attack had been strong, but it's focus was one-dimensional, completely dependent on Kardiak remaining in a certain position. When the monster moved, Terra was left defenseless--the amount of power and determination she had poured into her strike could not easily be recalled, and for a few moments, she had no guard. During these moments, Kardiak struck, it's tendrils slamming into her chest.

As the green changeling caught her crumpled form, a tear slid down his eye, as his examinations did not immediately reveal signs of life. But soon, a choked breath escaped Terra's lungs, and Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Kardiak. "I'm gonna take you down," he swore, shapeshifting into the form of a mighty polar bear. Letting out a great roar, he charged, timing his rush so that he would collide into Kardiak at the same time that Starfire's energy blasts, recently fired, slammed into the monster's back. Such a two-pronged strike would surely decimate Kardiak, or, at the very least, weaken him.

Unfortunately, Kardiak was quite a bit faster than its appearance might lead others to believe. Unable to pull back in time, Beast Boy was caught completely off-balance when Kardiak shifted to the side, and Beast Boy fell to the same fate as Terra. Kardiak's tendrils slammed into the underside of the chest of the polar bear, causing Beast Boy to be thrust upward, directly into the Starbolt blasts. The changeling, slumping into unconsciousness, involuntarily shifted back to his human form and slumped to the ground, his clothes charred.

Robin swore under his breath when he saw this. Raven, Beast Boy, and Terra were down. Cyborg was busy blasting his sonic cannon at Kardiak, with no visible effect. Only Starfire seemed to be having any sort of worthwhile input: facing off with Kardiak, her Starbolt swipes acted almost like a sword, slashing into the creatures tentacles and severing them. For a moment, the Boy Wonder thought that, perhaps, things would work...but he was forced to eat his words when he saw Starfire slammed into the ground.

Reaching into his utility belt, he brought forth two Birdarangs, one in each hand, and released them in Kardiak's direction. No effect. How could they be losing? Kardiak had never been able to stop them before. They were getting sloppy. Grimacing, Robin extended the staff-baton, swinging it expertly at Kardiak's flank.

He found it difficult to breathe when one of Kardiak's metal tendrils wrapped around his neck, threatening to crush it. He struggled, noting through fading vision that Cyborg was trying to rush forward to help, but with no success--Kardiak's many appendages could keep many people busy at the same time, and it was this challenge that Cyborg was facing. Feeling hopeless, Robin could think of no way out of this. Things weren't good...not at all.

There was a slicing sound that seemed so far off, but suddenly Robin found himself able to breathe as the tendril around his neck fell away. Gasping deeply, he coughed, trying to take in as much air as his deprived lungs would allow. Even as he did this, he peered up to see something he hadn't expected. Somebody unknown, garbed in some sort of black battlesuit, was fighting Kardiak, dodging all of the creatures tendrils with shocking ease. The Boy Wonder turned to look at Cyborg, a questioning expression on his face, but Cyborg's responding stare indicated that he didn't know who this mystery man was, either.

"Slow!" the stranger shouted, pointing the sword in his hands directly at Kardiak, and Robin could almost feel as if the energy around him was being redirected. Robin watched as Kardiak suddenly staggered, moving almost not at all, and then the stranger dove forward, between the stalled tentacles, and slammed his fists into Kardiak's core at a striking angle. Letting out a roar, Kardiak seemed to be released from that strange stasis, before falling onto the ground in defeat.

---------------------------

_The floating citadel faltered for a moment, shifted slightly by a sudden surge of energy. The beast glanced around, peering behind him at the group of seven warriors that had appeared. "We've come to destroy you and end your tyrannical reign!" the hero shouted, raising his katana in a battle stance. The others behind him, a mixed group of warriors, expertly drew their weapons--swords, explosives, bows, and more. Their faces were hard, and their raw power levels ran together, almost as if they were covered by one powerful aura. _

_The beast gave a wry grin, slowly drawing his own weapon: a frightening scythe of incredible size, adorned with gems of power. "You've done well getting this far," the beast congratulated the group, stepping forward slightly and allowing his own power to come forth. "But I'm afraid your mission is all over. The Darkness commands all, and the fates are against you!" Raising his scythe up high, he channeled the darkness, drawing forth the powers into his body and releasing them, forming them into his own warriors. His personal champions of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Energy, and Spirit emerged from a portal of shadows, standing behind the beast in a formation for battle. Lowering his scythe, the beast took his own battle stance. "Shall we?" he asked in a demeaning tone, before swinging his scythe. _

---------------------------

"Who are you?" Robin asked, moving forward towards the strange man who stood over the fallen Kardiak, wiping his blade on the grass. The question was blunt, and perhaps undeserving--after all, this person had just saved their lives--but it was out of Robin's mouth before he could stop himself. The other Titans, standing up groggily, looked at the newcomer with a confused look on their faces.

"Hello," the stranger said with a nod. "I'm Tobias Geminasu, the...a lost wanderer," he answered, seeming to change part of his answer as he said it. "I...happened to see you battling, and that you weren't doing so well. I had to step in. I hope you didn't mind."

"You hope we didn't mind?" Cyborg repeated, incredulous. "Man, you saved our butts back there! High five!" He held up his hand, waiting for Tobias to celebrate with him, but the newcomer merely glanced at the hand with a slightly puzzled look on his face. After a moment of looking awkward, Cyborg lowered his hand and put it behind his back, trying unsuccessfully to save his dignity.

"We've got to thank you," Robin said, offering up his hand to Tobias. This time, the newcomer accepted the gesture, shaking Robin's hand politely. "I'm just glad you happened to be here. I don't know what would have happened otherwise."

"Robin," Starfire suggested, "Why do we not invite this Tobias Geminasu to our Tower for dinner in gratitude? I shall prepare the delicious Tamaranean celebratory meal of Grak-Nok!"

Beast Boy blanched slightly at Starfire's suggestion. "I like the first idea, Star," he said carefully, "But why don't I cook?"

"I'll help," Cyborg said. "I don't want some crazy vegetarian meal again."

"Come to our Tower for dinner, Tobias," Robin formally offered. "You saved our lives, the least we can do is save your stomach."

"Alright," Tobias accepted, glancing at everyone's grateful expressions. "I shall...come for dinner."

The meal was delicious. Cyborg and Beast Boy actually managed to work together in preparing an exquisite meal, with vegetarian options on the side. Tobias politely ate his fill, noting that the dinner manners of the Titans weren't the most...refined. Beast Boy and Cyborg devoured their meals without any sort of restraint, and Terra's behavior wasn't much better. Starfire, seeming to mimic her friends, attempted to do the same, but occasionally seeemed confused as to how to eat certain items. Robin wasn't nearly as bad, but only Raven seemed to actually have polite dining manners.

"So, friend Tobias," Starfire said with glee, bits of food on her face, "How did you come to be here in the City of Jump?"

The newcomer was momentarily taken aback. He had not been expecting any of the Titans to ask such forward questions...after all, he had come from a much more reserved place. But perhaps it was time to come out into the open...lay all of his cards on the table and see what the Titans chose to do.

"I'm glad you asked that, Starfire," Tobias answered after a moment, trying to phrase his words carefully. "I come from a ti--a place, far away, where there was a struggle. I was on one side of that struggle, and things weren't going so well. It...eventually got to the point where I had to leave, to find somebody that could help."

"And you wound up here," Raven surmised. "Let me guess--you want us to help you."

Tobias remained silent for a moment. Raven had seen directly to the heart of the matter, setting aside all of the disguises in the story. He wanted their help. "Yes," he said finally. "I need you to help me."

"Why didn't you just ask us?" Robin asked, frowning.

"You have to understand--this isn't something that's done lightly," Tobias tried to explain. "The situation isn't good. We desperately need help, and I couldn't risk that you would refuse. I needed you to agree to help me. So I tried to get on your good side, and befriend you. When I saw that you needed help against Kardiak, I seized the chance to help you out, in the hopes that, later, you'd agree to help me."

The Titans were silent for a moment, each of them thinking. Tobias's movements had been a bit more calculated than they thought, but did that make them any less sincere and genuine? Did that make his need any less real? Whether he had helped them out of personal gain or not, he had still helped them. "Okay," Robin decided, looking to the others to see if any of them had any objections. They did not. "We'll help you."

---------------------------

_The fierce clang of steel upon steel rang out when the hero raised his sword to block the scythe of the beast. Around the citadel, the six soldiers faced off against the dark warriors. Things weren't going so well--little by little, the soldiers began to falter. Despite their skills, they were only human, and their opponents were dark entities charged with elemental power. There could be no comparison--the soldiers would lose. Far below the citadel, the armies of the world had begun their retreat--the war was lost. The fate of the world had never looked worse than in that moment. _

_"This world is mine to destroy," the beast said, slamming the hero to the ground, "and the heavens themselves are next!" _

_Bleeding from his wound, the hero staggered to his knees, struggling to stand up. "No," he said, rising with his sword held high. "For the sake of the people...for the sake of this world...I will not fail!" _

_The citadel rocked in the sky, almost as if hit by an explosion, and then the hero lunged. His body and blade, illuminated by some strange light, seemed to pierce the very core of the beast, and for a single moment...the tides seemed to turn at last. _

---------------------------

"So where is this enemy of yours?" Starfire asked the strange Tobias, hovering on a cliffside where the Titans all stood. Tobias had brought them here, saying that he needed their help...but the enemy was nowhere in sight.

"We must wait for somebody first," Tobias said, nodding his head in a signal of respect for the Tamaranean princess. "My team-mate, who will be of great use to us in this struggle."

"Ah," Starfire said, nodding her head, even though she only understood half of what was going on. She didn't think that it was Earth custom to be this vague about things, but perhaps she still had a lot to learn.

"Tobias!" came a shout from behind them all. The Titans turned, half expecting the ninja's mysterious foe, but instead they saw a strange man running up, shifting a pack on his shoulder as he sprinted up the slope. "Are these them?" he asked his friend when he arrived, glancing at the Titans with a curious glance.

"This is them," Tobias said. "They call themselves the 'Teen Titans'. They've agreed to help us in the battle." Turning so that he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the newcomer, Tobias addressed the group. "This is Sai Xiang, one of my team-mates from...from the original fight," he explained.

"'One of your team-mates'?" Cyborg asked, noting what the words implied. "Does that mean there are others?"

"Yes," Tobias asked, nodding his head. "There were seven of us in full, but after the first battle with our foe, we were...scattered. I do not know where the others are." Before the Titans could ask him more questions about the subject--which he knew they would--Tobias spoke again quickly. "Sai has managed to uncover the current location of our enemy," he informed them, neatly redirecting the topic. "Raven, your power should be able to teleport us there easily."

The sweeping power of Raven's soul self easily deposited the eight people on the small cove, just off the shore of the Jump City bay, as per the instructions of Tobias. "Where are we?" Terra asked, stepping forward on the sand and looking around. She could see only see the city through a thick haze now...turning in the other direction, she noted that the haze covered that view as well. "This is strange. There wasn't any visible fog back in the city."

"The fog is his way of keeping himself hidden," Sai spat in disgust of the enemy that he knew was so close now. "Raising this sort of barrier is of no difficulty to him."

"Your enemy, you mean?" Robin asked, trying to keep things straight even as he leapt up onto one of the rocks to get a glimpse at the rest of the small island, in an attempt to get his bearings. "Judging by what I can see of the city, I'd estimate that we're directly southwest of the Tower," he said dubiously, trying to make a conclusion.

"Yes, our enemy," Tobias said, nodding once more. "He is here, most likely inside the cave. We must be careful...the darkness will intensify his power."

"Perhaps," Raven said, her eyes glowing, "but he's not the only one that knows how to use the darkness to his advantage."

"Shall we go, then?" Starfire asked, drawing forth a Starbolt in her hand to help light the way. The combination of the light from the Starbolt, as well as the green light that now emerged from her eyes, kept things on a fairly visible side, especially when assisted by Robin's flashlight and Cyborg's illuminating eye. Prepared, the eight people began their sojourn into the cave.

"It's disgusting," Raven said as they delved deeper into the darkness. "I can feel the hate in here. This person's not exactly the nicest guy."

"No," Tobias said after a moment, as if thinking of something. "He isn't."

"Guys!" came a shout from up ahead--Cyborg's voice. "I think you'd better get over here, quick. There's somebody up here."

"The enemy?" Tobias asked, rushing ahead with the others at his flank.

"No," came Cyborg's reply. "Someone else."

When the rest of the group arrived to where Cyborg stood, they were revolted by the sight. There was a woman chained to a rock, with her clothes in tatters. She was bone thin, most likely a result of not eating, and she seemed barely conscious. Opening her eyes with a struggle, she saw the group, and at first made not even the slightest motion of surprise--as if their appearance didn't matter in the slightest. But then she saw them. "Tobias?" she whispered in disbelief. "Tobias? Sai?"

"Gods," Tobias whispered, falling to his knees suddenly. "Yukada? Is that really you?" He reached out his shaking hand, almost afraid that if he touched this girl...she would flicker away, an illusion. "I've searched so long..."

"You have to get out of here, Tobias," Yukada said, struggling to even speak. Her chest, almost nonexistant, heaved when she did so, a clear sign of the amount of energy it took for her to even say these words. "He is here...Shadow Darkholme."

"I know," Tobias said grimly as the other Titans only stared in confusion. Sai Xiang was somewhat closer, his eyes in awe as he looked at Tobias and Yukada, but even he was at a loss for explanation.

"You know?" Yukada asked, a single tear streaming down her face. "Why have you come?"

"To kill him," the ninja stated simply. "I am going to kill him."

"You cannot," the pale girl whispered. "We have tried, and failed...and even then, you were lucky. Do you seek to throw your life away by returning to him?"

"But Yukada," Tobias said with a smile, touching her cheek to wipe away the tear, "I am stronger now...and I have these new allies. They will help me."

When his hand touched her face, Yukada turned away, deliberately flinching back from his touch. "You are a fool then, to lead these people to their deaths as well," she said numbly. A vacant stare seemed to go into her eyes then, and both Tobias and Sai leaned forward in concern while the Titans could only stare. Then, Yukada blinked her eyes once, jerking back with a shocking display of stamina. "He comes!" she nearly shouted despite her infirmity before collapsing backward against the stone wall.

"Shimatta!" Tobias swore in Japanese, before standing up suddenly and spinning. "Everybody down!" he shouted, drawing his sword.

"What the heck is going on?" Beast Boy shouted before changing to a small squirrel that ran into a corner.

"The enemy is here," Sai said grimly, drawing a kunai. "And that is very, very bad."

"Show yourself, Shadow Darkholme!" Tobias roared, raising his sword as the Titans backed away behind the ninja, looking at each other in confusion. There was no sign of the enemy at all.

Closing her eyes, Raven reached out her thought, probing in an attempt to locate this 'hidden' enemy...then she opened her eyes with a gasp, nearly falling back. "Raven!" Robin shouted, catching her as she fell. "What is it? What did you see?"

"He is here," Raven said, standing up and holding her head with her hands. "And he's stronger than we can imagine."

"Such nice compliments from the pretty girl," came a strong voice from all around them, echoing on the cave walls. Reacting, the Titans comprised a battle position, their backs to each other and their attacks at the ready.

"I must compliment you, Tobias," the voice said as swirls of darkness began to gather in front of the unconscious Yukada. "Not only have you survived your little trip through time, but you've also gathered some of this era's champions. I didn't think you had it in you to raise another team...especially after what happened last time."

"Raven, please tell me that those dark spirals are you doing something," Beast Boy murmered to his team-mate as beads of sweat began to gather on his fur.

"I'm afraid not," the daughter of Trigon said grimly, watching the gathering darkness with determination. If she could just pierce the center of it with her own powers, and dispel the energy surge, she might be able to stop this before it even began.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," said the mysterious voice, and a dark haze emerged around Raven's body.

"Hnn!" Raven shouted, clenching her hands to her head as it to pretend from the psychic backlash. Clenching her eyes shut, she began visualizing a spiritual chant in her head, drawing on Azar's power...and, with a pale blue light, the dark haze vanished, and Raven looked back up. But the swirls of darkness had vanished...and, in their place was a man. Or perhaps, not a man...but a monster.

---------------------------

_As the hero slashed out with his blade, his entire being pulsating with a mighty light, it seemed like the beast was repulsed, pushed backward in a sort of hesitant fear. The elemental warriors turned, seeing the pain of their leader, and left their own private battles to rush the champion, hoping to quench his newfound power. _

_When they touched him, however, the light pushed into their skin, and they slowly crumbled away, de-aged from a reverse chronal pulsation. The beast raised his terrible scythe, hoping to deflect the glowing sword, but the hero set his position and pressed onward, slicing directly into the scythe...and total chaos erupted from the strike. _

---------------------------

"Shadow Darkholme," Tobias nearly hissed as Sai gave out a low, almost bestial growl.

"I'm overcome with joy that you remember me," Shadow said, crouching down next to the fallen form of Yukada. "And I'm sure you're just as glad that I was able to find your dear, sweet team-mate, Yukada. I took such good care of her in your absense, don't you think?" As he said this, he took her chin in his hand, pulling her face forward with mock affection.

"Get away from her," Tobias said, pointing his sword out towards the enemy.

"Or you'll do what?" Shadow asked, the mocking joviality gone from his voice now. "You've maneuvered yourself right into my trap, Tobias. And now, I will finally be able to kill--"

The speech of the dark creature was interrupted when Beast Boy, in the form of a rhinocerous, slammed into Shadow's side, knocking the enemy back. "That...was not a smart thing to do," Shadow said, extending his hand and releasing a wave of shadow energy that smashed into the head of the rhino. Shifted back involuntarily to his human form, Beast Boy crashed against the wall of the cave from the sheer force of the blast.

The instant retaliation of the Titans was incredible. As the viridian light pulsated forward from Starfire's hands, an azure ray was emitted from Cyborg's cannon. These twin beams of destruction cascaded forward, erupting into Shadow's chest with such force that the entity was hurled backwards into the wall.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, drawing his bo staff and hurling it not at the villain, but at a rock overhang. As the metal rod slammed into the jutting earth, the overhang crumbled, sending a rain of crag down upon the fiend.

While Terra and Tobias both darted forward, prepared to deliver their respective attacks--Terra with her geological bursts and Tobias with his time-manipulative rays--the empathic Raven slid through the shadows, unwilling to enter direct combat with the dark foe again. Instead, she placed her hands on Beast Boy's side, trying to remove his wounds. She bit her lip, knowing that the pain would be transferred over to her, but it couldn't be helped.

Instead of leaping into the battle, Sai stepped back, drawing a peculiar item from his pockets. A crest, marked with symbological power. Pulling his arm back, he released the item, sending it flying forth like a straight edge. As it connected with Shadow, the symbols momentarily flared, and the villain was hurled backwards in a contained explosion.

---------------------------

_As his blade slashed against the dread scythe, the hero felt a surge of power erupt from his form through the weapon, and suddenly, a terrifying vortex was before him. Slashing through the very fabric of time, the hero had unleashed a terrible danger--and, at the same time, a startling opportunity. If the beast could not be defeated...perhaps he could be thrust into this terrifying portal. _

_He knew not where it lead, but the hero was certain that anywhere was better than here. "Shadow!" he shouted in a roar, speaking the beast's name as if proclaiming a terrible doom. "This is your final hour!" Acting as if he was about to slash, the hero leapt to the side, slamming his foot into the side of the beast, sending the villain flying into the void. _

_But the fight was not over. The villain had been sent away, yes...but the void still existed. And it was hungry. "Yukada!" the hero shouted to the salmon-haired woman, one of the many heroes at his side. "We need to close this hole--now!" _

_"How?" she shouted over the din, a sense of hopelessness falling onto her face. _

_"Your daggers!" the hero shouted, grabbing onto a fixture in the wall to avoid the suction of the void. "Use your daggers!" _

_Realization hit Yukada with a blow, and she looked at the twin blades in her hand. The mystical Knives of Raunzell, from a foreign culture...although she had misgivings about these weapons, the power they possessed was immense. Their magical energies...perhaps they'd be enough to quell this insatiable void. _

---------------------------

'We're actually beating him,' Tobias thought to himself with glee as he leapt away from one of Shadow's attacks before stabbing forward with his sword like a seasoned fencer. 'We can win.'

But he had spoken too soon. As the sword lashed towards him, threatening to strike with dangerous bite, Shadow slid to the side with astounding speed, grabbing the blade in his two hands. "Not again, Tobias," he said grimly, focusing his power into the sword. Slowly, the darkened light from his hands began creeping up the blade, crawling onto Tobias like a infectious disease.

"Master!" came the shout from Sai's lips as he ran forward to his companion's aid. The Titans, also, turned away from the battle momentarily, but Shadow's voice soon stopped their advance. "Careful," he taunted, standing up slowly. "I've just infected Tobias with a dark 'virus'. The shadows will slowly overtake his spirit, burning the soul from within. If you touch him...you, too, will die."

"You monster," Sai said, turning towards the villain with clenched teeth.

"There are two choices you can make," Shadow said, standing strong now. "You can come after me, and let him die. Or you can choose to save him...but I will be gone by the time you have finished. The choice is yours." Slowly--deliberately--Shadow turned his back on the group, walking out of the cave without looking back.

---------------------------

_Yukada stepped towards the void, the daggers in her hand glowing as she gently called upon their hidden power. "I can do this," she said, praying silently to herself as she prepared to touch the blades onto the void lightly, wishing with all her heart that the void would close. _

_Her feet braced against the suction, she brushed the daggers towards the portal, trying not to get any closer than she needed to. But by then...it was too late. The power of the daggers activated, true enough...but in a way completely unexpected. Latching onto the Timestream within the void, the daggers, caused the portal to expand, and Yukada was caught instantaneously. _

_"Tobias!" she shouted, holding her hand out towards the hero for aid. _

_"Yukada!" he shouted, rushing forward to grab her...but as he did so, the glowing light around his form extended to the entire castle, and before the moment had passed...the floating temple had been engulfed in it's entirety. _

---------------------------

"Yukada!" came the shout from the lips of the fallen ninja Tobias as he sat up suddenly from the bed in which he lay. Looking around, he saw only a teenager, costumed and wearing a thin black mask over his eyes. "Robin," he said, remembering now. "What happened? Where is Yukada? Is she okay?" And then, almost as if it had been blocked out, another question hit him. "Did we stop Shadow Darkholme?"

Robin stood up from his chair, walking over to where Tobias sat. "Yukada is fine," he said, checking one of the moniters that was recording the ninja's vital signs. "Her wounds were, all in all, relatively minor. Her greatest problem had been lack of nutrition."

Tobias nodded, glad. "And my other question?" he asked hesitantly, knowing without reason that he would not like the answer.

The head of the Boy Wonder was down as he replied. "Shadow got away," Robin replied, almost in a murmer. "We let him."

"What?" Tobias asked, stunned. "Why would you do that? Do you have any idea what he's capable of?"

"We know," Robin said grimly. "But there was something else at stake. I don't know if you remember, but...Shadow released some sort of shadow plague upon you. It had infected you on a spiritual level, threatening to destroy your soul and sentence you to eternal torment. We couldn't let that happen." He looked back at the vital signs, making a mental note of what they said.

When he looked back at Tobias, he continued his explanation. "You're fine, now," Robin said, and a sense of personal relief washed over the ninja. "Raven was able to use her healing arts to cast away the sickness. But we wouldn't have been able to save you and go after Shadow at the same time...so we let him go."

Tobias looked at the bed upon which he lay, so many thoughts entering his head. Yukada was safe...Shadow was free. He himself was alive...Shadow was free. Raising his head to gaze directly at Robin, he spoke in a soft voice. "I think the time for you all to know a few things."

---------------------------

_In the darkness of the void, deep within the Timestream, Tobias looked around for Yukada and the others. He stood in the temple, although the building had nearly been destroyed, and was now being hurled throughout the very rivers of time itself. Tunnels appeared, dragging away everyone Tobias had teamed up with, despite his best efforts to catch up to them...and then, in his despair, he heard a voice. But it was not one he wished for. _

_"You nearly succeeded," Shadow Darkholme said, standing behind Tobias, his own clothes in tatters. "I was nearly destroyed upon entering this void." _

_"It doesn't matter," Tobias said, laughing in spite of himself. "You're doomed to be trapped here, deep within the void. Both of us...we will be sealed away for all existence." _

_"Perhaps that may have been the case," Shadow said, a sinister grin appearing on his face. "But you've altered that fate. By coming here, you've made a terrible mistake...for you've given me a way out." And then, before Tobias could respond, another great tunnel appeared, and Shadow was gone in an instant. _

_"I've failed," the ninja said, falling to his knees in despair, before he, too, was pulled away by a tunnel... _

_Centuries later, he awoke in a strange land, stranded across space and time. That conversation...it had been his last memory. But Tobias was here now...and somehow, without knowing how he knew, Tobias knew that Shadow Darkholme still roamed this earth. _

_And somehow, someday, Tobias would defeat Shadow, once and for all. _

---------------------------

"We were born almost two thousand years ago, in Feudal Japan," Tobias was saying to the Titans as he, Sai Xiang, and Yukada stood together at the center of the living room while the Titans sat on the couch, listening to their tale.

"Most people think that it was, for the most part, an era of isolated incidents," the lead ninja stated, looking at the Titans as he tried to explain everything that had occured. "But such was not the case. The truth was...we were at war."

"Shadow Darkholme was a terrible evil that had risen up, independent from any known nation," Yukada said, taking the role of storyteller. "Soon, he had established his own base of power, with his own cult following. And if he ever needed soldiers, he just summoned them, or created them from nothingness. His armies were unstoppable."

"The many countries of the world united against him, but it didn't work," Tobias said. "He summoned an even greater threat, a terrible monster that could withstand their attacks. The world as we knew it seemed doomed."

"That's where we came in," Sai said. "The seven of us--the Warriors of the Sun--were chosen by a higher calling to stop Shadow. We had each been given powerful weapons and a mission--infiltrate the headquarters of 'the beast' and destroy him at all costs."

"I take it things didn't go as planned?" Raven asked wryly.

"No," Yukada said. "I led them into battle, but Shadow seemed to know that we were coming, and he prepared accordingly. He had powerful allies--elemental soldiers that would obey his every command. We were overrun."

"Then something happened," Tobias said. "I suddenly began to feel exceptionally powerful...and I manifested some sort of time abilities on an incredible scale. Before I knew it, all of us had been pulled into the Timestream."

"And we wound up here," Sai concluded. "All of us were separated from each other--so far, us three are the only ones that have found each other, and in Yukada's case it was partly because of you guys."

"I can't thank you enough for that," Tobias said, and Yukada gave a smile towards him.

"But Shadow is still on the loose," Tobias continued. "And that means our job isn't done."

"There are a number of Titans operatives," Robin said. "We can ask one of them to accompany you, if you'd like."

"Thanks," Tobias said, "but I think that, for now, we need to do this on our own. First, we need to find the rest of our allies--together, we're strong, but apart, we're just prey for Shadow."

"Okay," Cyborg said, "that sounds fair. But if you ever need our help..."

"We won't hesitate to call," Yukada said, flashing a smile to all of the Titans. "Thank you all, so much, for all you've helped us with. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"To new beginnings," Tobias said with a smile, and everyone joined in unison, repeating the sentence with joy and hope in their voices.


	3. Demons

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

Demons 

As the fire surrounded me, I could feel what remained of my flesh peeling away as I was forced to relive the most traumatic days of my life. The days in combat where I had nearly been killed, the tortures I had been forced to endure, the day my wife left me...all were terrible, yes, but spaced out between each other. Not like this. Not piled on top of each other, amplified by the momentous abilities of the crazed witch. And then, in a burst of crimson light, they released the ultimate destruction...and that was the day I died.

Again.

I've been called many things before. Slade Wilson, veteran hero. Deathstroke the Terminator, one of the world's greatest villains. Even "Daddy". But never before had I been called _worthless_. The word stung me, striking on mounted insecurities and all the guilt I had stored away...guilt over betraying my family and nearly letting my son be killed. And she used that guilt, tormenting me until I was ready to weep and beg for forgiveness.

Of course, by that time it was far too late.

I was the best there was. When I was in the army--illegally, I might add, for I masked my real age in order to be accepted--I soon became one of their greatest soldiers. When my strength and agility was enhanced by an experiment, I became more than human--a superhuman that the army sorely needed. But I was smart--perhaps one of the smartest men alive, one of the side effects of the experiment that gave me my powers. Normal men could only use ten percent of their brain's latent ability...I could use nearly all of it.

I saw the opportunity for power, and I seized it. I **became** the man I am today, building my own criminal empire and becoming one of the most wanted men across the globe. But the consequences were dire...my son nearly payed the ultimate price for my betrayal, and my wife wished me dead. I was alone...and that, too, was used against me in this most heinous of tortures.

When you get right down to it, I suppose I always was unlucky with apprentices. Robin viewed me as his mortal enemy--his skills matched my own, perhaps, but he would die before serving me completely. Only by holding the lives of his friends in the balance could I bend him to my will...but even then he was able to stop me. Clever boy.

And then there was Terra. She was strong--not as talented as Robin, perhaps, but in her veins flowed the power of the Earth itself, an ability so royal that her might was nearly limitless. And she was naive, gullible...and far too easy for me to manipulate.

I became her "friend", taught her everything she wished to know...in exchange for one simple thing--for her to join me and destroy the Titans who had harmed me so. But even that backfired. Terra revolted at the last instant, and I was hurled to my burning death.

And yet I returned...although it was not entirely my doing. Beyond life, I was..."recruited" by the extra-dimensional demon known as Trigon the Terrible. He had his own agenda, and for the moment, it needed me. I was to serve him, and in return, I would gain back what I had lost: my life.

So, I became his slave. It was degrading, humiliating...but it came with its perks. Trigon blessed me with demonic powers, including the ability to emit deadly hellfire. That itself made my task much easier.

And my aforementioned task was threefold: to find Trigon's daughter, to remind her of her destiny, and then make sure that she fulfilled it by bringing Trigon back to corporeal form.

The first part of the task was already complete. Raven and I had met many times...coincidence beyond coincidences, she was one of those blasted Teen Titans who had plagued me so. With her incredible dark powers, she was, perhaps, the strongest of them all, and during my mortal life, I had even feared her with some portion of my soul.

But I was no longer mortal.

On the day of her birthday, I made myself known once more, rising to attack and raise the attention of the Teen Titans. Then, I went after Raven, using my incredible power to bypass all of her delaying methods--even her attempts at literally freezing all of time could not halt my dreadful pursuit. And when I caught up with her, I burned the scars of Trigon onto her skin...and with that, the second part of my task was complete.

As I continued my quest, my "master" began to stir once more, destroying the realm that had plagued him for centuries--the mystical world known as Azarath. In one dreadful assault, he destroyed the place, bringing ruin to Raven's former homeworld and thus cutting off all chance of her escaping the Prophecy.

I myself feared the Prophecy. Formerly, I had known not of it, but my master Trigon revealed it to me. The daughter of the demon would restore his body, releasing the seals and bringing him to Earth, thus allowing him to create the Apocalypse foretold by many of Earth's religions. The end of humanity would be at hand, yes...but what other choice did I have? Perhaps if I served him, I might somehow survive. It was better than the alternative, for with my deeds during my mortal life, only the heavens may know what form of afterlife I would visit.

With the day of the Apocalypse at hand, I prepared to kidnap Raven...but she chose to go with only minimal reluctance. She _knew_ of her destiny, and knew also that it was unavoidable. The symbols of Skath were burned onto her skin, and it was only a matter of time before she came around to my way of thinking.

But prudence has always been a part of my nature. I knew what I was getting into when I made a deal with the devil--literally--and certain measures of precaution had to be taken. Through numerous contacts, I learned of an ancient sect of priests who had, long ago, sealed away my dread master, doing all they could to keep him banished forevermore. Although they had failed in the second goal, they possessed a certain degree of divine power: that of their goddess, Azar--the creator of the pacifist realm Azarath. Azar had imbued her essence into two holy rings upon her departure from the mortal realm, and Azar's power was supposedly the only thing that could resist the full brunt of Trigon's wrath.

Azar was gone, but the rings remained, and through a great deal of difficulty was I able to make an arrangement. As I brought Raven to Trigon, I made a..."pit-stop", if you will, at a place where Azar's power was once plentiful. A robed figure--a woman, although I could not see her face--gave me a single ring.

When I asked about the condition of the second ring, I was informed that it had long since vanished. Perhaps this was a lie, prepared to conceal a certain truth...but it mattered not. A single ring would still be sufficient to ward off any foul play by my master.

And so I took Raven to her father, leaving behind the mysterious woman. I considered killing her, in case it was a trap, but decided against it. There was a very real chance that this girl retained protection from Azar, and as such none of my hellish abilities would affect her--and besides, even if I was able to kill her, it could be that the ring would cease functioning, and that was not something I wanted to risk.

Things deteriorated rather rapidly after that. Raven, sensing my insecurities with her damnable powers, pushed at the buttons she knew would anger me most. In a rage, I lost control momentarily, and the demon henchmen Trigon had given me turned to stop me from killing the demon's daughter.

I thought things would end then--that, once I had calmed down, I would once again be in control--but I was wrong. Surprising even me, Raven did the one thing I never expected--she _embraced_ her father's evil, perhaps sensing that things were hopeless already for the good in her. And, with the aid of her father, she sent me on an emotional roller coaster, forcing me to relive the worst moments of my life...and then she stripped me of the spell that kept me alive beyond death.

For a second time in the past year, I died.

But somehow, I arose again. The ring on my finger, glowing with an azure aura, seemed to keep me alive, animating my corpse like Trigon had done previously. The demonic powers are gone now...but I'm still me, the best there is.

And I'm going to get my revenge on Raven and her father, once and for all.


	4. A War of Revolution

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

**A War of Revolution**

Shortly past the hour of midnight, the entirety of the H.I.V.E. Academy had been coated with darkness as the residents settled in for the night, sleep imminent. Any student in the left wing of the dormitory were faced with the prospect of an Advanced Terrorism exam in the morning, while the other students had a field exam in the afternoon. As headmistress of this prestigious institution, the woman called Static had made an extensive patrol across the premises, peering into the rooms to determine that everything was in order. Satisfied, she activated the patrol drones to moniter the hallways before retiring for the night, settling down in her vast chambers.

But high at the top of the building, in a tower masked from even Static's vision, a single candle blazed brightly in the center of a small room. The flickering light reflected on the glass of a picture frame, behind which the face of an elderly woman looked out with a stern gaze. She was the original H.I.V.E. Headmistress, and although she had since been lost to the students, her legacy was still in full effect.

Five figures stood around the candle, each garbed in a purple robe and golden belt. Their faces, hidden in the shadow of their hoods, could not be seen, but four of the figures were looking at the fifth, who had been sitting deep in thought for the past few moments, surrounded by a soft aura. Finally, the figure looked up at the others and spoke. "We're safe right now," the person said, looking at the others. "Static's gone, and nobody can hear us right now. We can speak freely."

"This has to stop," one of the robed figures said, slamming a fist into the wall. "Being forced to hide in our own headquarters, sneaking around as if we were doing something wrong. The tyranny of Static must be ended, and soon!"

"It will," another said in a deep voice. "If our plan succeeds, the balance of power will be shifted at last, and Static will be forced to beg us for mercy!"

The figure who had first spoken gently laid a hand on the arm of the previous speaker. "Hold your temper, my friend," this person replied, looking up with earnest. "The safety measures keep us safe from Static's moniters, but it is still reckless to shout or otherwise draw attention to ourselves. Let us not risk when it can bring no reward."

"When, then, will we rise up?" another asked, arms spread out in a questioning posture. "This plan of ours has been in the making for weeks now. We have made all of the necessary preparations. Now must be the time for action, not deliberation!"

"Patience, friend," the original speaker replied with a calm and steady voice. "Everything is in place. The ball will begin to roll tonight...and by this time next week, the Academy will no longer be under Static's control." From beneath the hood of the speaker came a soft violet glow, and a maniacal laugh emanated from the shadows where a mouth perhaps was...and lightning struck outside the Academy as a storm began to turn.

---------------------------

"One of you is plotting to betray me." The words of Static echoed around the auditorium, where she had called together a meeting for the entire school. Her robotic drones had drifted throughout the entire building, flushing out every last student and faculty member. It was time to set a few things straight around here.

The headmistress looked at their faces, scanning for some sense of shock, or hatred, or even a casual sneer. Anything to reveal who was planning this traitorous uprising. But she saw nothing. Everyone was staring back at her with blank looks on their faces. Damn, they were good. "I've been informed that a group, garbed in the purple robes instated by the original Headmistress of this Academy, has been meeting secretly, manipulating circumstance so that they can bring me down."

"I can assure you that this will not happen," she told them strictly. "My oracles have predicted that there are those who will try. I have taken steps to prevent them from succeeding. You have been warned." With the finality of this statement, she waved her golden hand, releasing electricity into the air to turn off the lights in the auditorium. "Class dismissed."

---------------------------

"Is every all right, Headmistress?" the assistant known as Johsnon asked, his hand going instinctively to Static's shoulder. Despite her sudden ascension in rank, and the massive responsibilities that went with it, Static was still barely nineteen, and as such was still a youth. Johnson himself, a man of his thirties, understood that Static, so young, must be stepped around carefully.

"No, everything is not 'all right'," she hissed at him, batting his hand from her shoulder. "Don't touch me, Johnson," she warned him, her eyes blazing. "A group of renegades have risen under my very nose, and at this moment they plot to take control of my school, after all I've done. They'll kill me, and I will be forgotten."

Johnson frowned in a mixture of pity and disappointment. This new Headmistress was, by nature, an unpredictable individual, but she almost seemed now like a teenager whose plans had gone terribly awry. It was somewhat pathetic, actually. "Then you must not let them, my Mistress," he loyally stated.

"Of course I'm not going to let them, Johnson," Static replied, rolling her eyes at his statement. "I've already taken steps. My psychics were able to sense the uprising, but not who was responsible for it. So I've initiated the next phase of my plan, and soon I will know all there is to know about the rebellious little traitors."

---------------------------

"Do you think she knows that it's us?" Gizmo murmered out of the side of his mouth to Jinx as the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E. marched down the hallway, retreating to the chambers of the hexmistress after the assembly.

"I doubt it," Jinx replied, holding up her personal enchantments to keep anyone listening from hearing the contents of this conversation. If anyone was eavesdropping, they'd be delighted to be audience to a hearty discussion about who made Gizmo's uniform. "If she had known, I doubt she'd be addressing all of us and giving us fair warning. She'd take us down, hard and fast."

"Right," Mammoth rumbled.

The other members of the group stopped walking and looked at Mammoth, an odd look on their faces. The giant's intellectual skills weren't all that profound, and it was common knowledge to all but him that he was around soley to provide major muscle. "We need to coordinate our actions, then," Private HIVE said, ever the military man. "Now that Static knows about our general plan, we don't have much time until she takes definitive action--or at least preventative measures."

"That's where we're going right now, friend," Gizmo said, and as they arrived at Jinx's dormitory, the enchantress pushed open the door, allowing the entire group entry.

"You can come out now, Nemesis," the purple-haired spellcaster called out, and there was a shimmer in the corner of the room as a slightly nervous girl, whose braided red hair gave her almost a fiery appearance.

"Are you sure it's safe?" she asked, her eyes darting back and forth. "I'm still only a new student, barely an official member of the H.I.V.E. If Static gets wind of how I'm assisting you, she won't hesitate to eliminate me."

"Trust me, Nemesis," Jinx assured the girl. "My powers have kept your involvement masked completely from her radar, and by the time she finds out, it will be too late. Think of all I've done for you. You do not wish to turn back now." As she was finishing this statement Jinx looked at Gizmo, who was busy ruffling around through a pile of rags. "Have you found the device yet, Gizmo?"

"Almost," the mechanical midget growled. "It should be right at the bottom of the--aha, there it is!" With triumph, Gizmo raised his hand over his head, and it held a long rod with a single button.

See-More, Private HIVE, and Mammoth crowded over to get a look at it. Nemesis, too, was gazing at it curiously. "What is it?" she finally asked.

"This, my red-haired friend, is the Final Mark Version Four," Gizmo said proudly, holding the item out for everyone to see. The curious yellow designs running all along the crooked staff seemed to originate from the center black button.

Ever observant, See-More was the first to question. "I can see forms of heavy electronics inside it with my X-ray vision," he said. "What exactly does it do?"

"I'm so glad you asked that," the midget replied with a grin. "With the simple press of a button, I can alter all forms of electric energy, manipulating them in any way I desire. With this item, Static's abilities will be completely negated."

"We have designed contingency plans for every force Static can muster," Jinx said, taking point in the conversation. "Mammoth's invulnerability will allow him to deal with heavy-hitters like Rock, the XL Terrestrial and INSTIGATOR. See-More's eyeball prison can handle the likes of Billy Numerous and Paper. Gizmo's weapons and self-defense systems can stop Static's drones, and Private HIVE's strategies have given us a suitable assault against Scissors. My own...unique talents allow me to defeat Static's mystics, and Nemesis can negate the powers of Kyd Wykkyd."

"But Static's powers have always been uncertain," Gizmo told everyone. "She's unbelievablly resourceful, and can absorb electricity and radiation to fuel her powers. The upgrades she's given herself have made her a veritable powerhouse, and the building will obey her every command. This new weapon will let us take her out quickly."

"Who is going to do it, then?" Private HIVE asked. "Which one of us is going to take down our tyrant Headmistress?"

Jinx stepped forward, removing the item from Gizmo's hands. "That would be me," she said with a wicked smile. "I'm going to take much enjoyment in this."

---------------------------

Not long afterwards, the violet-haired enchantress walked down a dark hallway, the sounds of battle behind her. Everything had gone as planned, and those loyal to Static were being remonstrated. With one of her tasks--the defeat of the mystics--complete, Jinx prepared for the second, more important mission. To take down Static once and for all.

A man stood in her way, knowing the signs of battle and refusing Jinx access to Static's chambers. She didn't even bother to use her powers--she simply punched her fist in the side of his face, and the attendant called Johnson crumpled to the floor. Pushing open the large doors, she entered the dark room that was Static's personal office.

The light was dim, but Jinx could see Static sitting in that chair of hers, facing the wall. Her back was to Jinx now. The opportunity was hers.

But Jinx wanted to explain why, and how, and to show Static that she had thoroughly been beaten. She didn't just want to stop Static--she wanted to destroy her.

"It's over," she found herself saying as she walked a bit farther into the room. "My team has beaten you. Your allies, your carefully laid plans...all gone. And do you know why you lost? Because you didn't earn your way to the top. You simply stole it. And thieves always get what they deserve."

She held the staff in her hands like a weapon, it's power charged. If Static released an attack, she'd fall instantly. "Don't you have anything to say, Oh Revered Headmistress?" Jinx mocked. "Or have you accepted your defeat? We, the followers of the one true Headmistress, have beaten you and your ill-gotten regime. My powers masked our intentions from you, and we were able to catch you by surprise. You're finished."

"Very impressive," Static murmered, not even bothering to turn. "But you left out one thing."

"Oh?" Jinx said, a momentary trickle of doubt entering her mind. She tightened her grip on the weapon. "And what's that?"

"That you, in spite of your 'success', have entered a room alone, with a weapon designed to defeat only me. But who's ever said that I was alone?"

Even as Jinx heard these words, she knew that she had made a mistake. She could hear the swift movements of someone behind her, and the enchantress turned, her power charging, but she knew that it would be too late.

Fingers tightened around her throat, and Jinx was lifted into the air by her unknown assailant. The weapon fell from her hands, and the airflow had begun to be cut off.

Her attacker moved closer, lifting Jinx higher into the air, and at last she could see the features on her attacker's face. The white skin...the violet hair...the chakra on the forehead.

"Raven?" Jinx gurgled with the last of her breath.


	5. Enter Avatar!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC. Avatar and Johnson belong to me, while some of the other unknown characters belong to their creators.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

**Enter…Avatar!**

"Magnificent, isn't she?" Static's voice rang dimly through Jinx's ears as the pink-haired enchantress, unable even to move, slowly continued to suffocate as a direct result of the hand around her throat.

Then, abruptly, Jinx was hurled down, into the wall at the side of the room. The cloaked figure, with the full appearance of Raven, slowly walked over, her black robe shifting as she did so, to stand over Jinx with a menacing look in her eyes.

"How did you get Raven to serve you?" Jinx spat out at Static, coughing up a trace of blood as she did so. "Last I checked, she was a goody-goody again."

Grinning, Static walked over to the enchantress, kneeling down in front of her. "Why, my dear student, you should know better than that," the headmistress said, placing her hand against Jinx's cheek. "Why would I bring Raven to my side if I had better options?"

A burning flash went through Jinx's side as Static's metal hand slapped her heavily in the cheek. "You yourself saw Raven purified after she obliterated the demon Trigon from this Earth," the headmistress said, dusting off her pants as she stood up and turned to the cloaked figure. "But before that, if you recall, I had arranged the kidnapping of the Titans--using your team to do so, if I recall. And during their...stay at our facilities, I took the liberty of extracting a certain something from your good friend, Raven the witch. From her, I obtained a certain vial of mystical blood."

"You cloned her." Jinx was many things, but she was never a fool. "You took Raven's blood, heavily tainted with Trigon's black energy, and you made yourself a Raven."

"Not 'a Raven', Jinx," Static said, turning to flash a smile at the crumpled girl. "My pet is far better than that. I've removed all of the restraints from her, you see. All of the Azarathian teachings, all of Trigon's influence, all of her instinctual morals and humanity, until only one thing was left. Power." She casually walked over towards the clone, running her hand through the black robe she had so carefully chosen for this one. "No longer is she another version of Raven. Now she is Avatar, and shall be my foremost soldier in the war."

"So that's it, then?" the enchantress spat out, in spite of the perilous situation she was in. "Congratulations. You've gotten yourself another little slave, and torn down this institution in the process. There's a war going on out there, Static, and sides have been drawn. You'll never be able to pick up the pieces."

"That's where you're wrong, Jinx," the headmistress replied. "But regardless, your part as my opposition has ended. Good-bye, Jinx. You've been a worthy adversary...in your mind, at least." And then the evil headmistress turned, and Avatar--dread clone of Raven, imbued soley with unrelenting power--stepped forward. She raised one hand, and around that hand gathered immense levels of dark energy.

To her credit, Jinx never even screamed.

---------------------------

Mammoth's fist slammed into Rock's chest, hurling her backwards into the wall, where she slumped down in pain. She was strong, but could only take so much, and Mammoth was ultimately more devastating.

"Nice punch," came a voice from above Mammoth's shoulder. "But it won't really work against me." A black coating leaked up around Mammoth's body, and the great behemoth gave a shout as he tried to get free, but with every piece he pulled off, twice as much slapped on. A large object then slammed into Mammoth from behind, and despite the fact that he was largely invulnerable, the giant was hurled in the same direction as Rock.

"You've always been a decent opponent in the training center, Mammoth," Branwen said, walking up to her victim with a large hammer constructed from solid shadow. "But in case you had forgotten, I've always beaten you." She raised her hand, and the hammer followed. "Traitors to Static get what they deserve."

A gigantic sphere hurled forward to catch the hammer--and Branwen--within, courtesy of See-More. "You really have to take better care of yourself, Mammoth," the eye master reprimanded his team-mate.

All around them, a battle was raging. The H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E. were some of the elite students in the Academy, but their numbers still had a certain limit, even with the honorary recruit Nemesis. The rest of the Academy, however, refused to betray Static without just cause, and to them, the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E. were traitors, and it was their responsibility to stop the traitors to uphold the administrative staff of the school.

The girl known as Fianna rolled on the ground, trying to avoid the great machine Gizmo had released. "Rust!" she shouted, pointing towards the metal and focusing her power. The forces of erosion were hers to command, and the machine fell within moments, crumbling apart at the seams.

"Brat," Gizmo murmered, and from the shadows he pressed a button on a remote. His machine was defeated, but he still retained control over its weaponry. The cannon was still pointed at Fianna, at with Gizmo's command it fired a yellow laser, sending the girl to her knees.

Seeing his friend being shot down so callously, the heraldic archer named Jaka'za, perched on a protrusion in the wall, notched an arrow on his bow. He had been reluctant to enter this fight, but seeing Gizmo attack Fianna like that...

The energy-charged arrow rocketed downward, and Gizmo was forced to dance out of the way quite frantically to avoid being torn apart by the explosion.

Scissors and the XL Terrestrial were waiting for him, and they assaulted him ferociously. Over on the other side of the room, Private HIVE slammed his fist into Kyd Wykkyd's face before turning to shout orders. His military background gave him advanced strategic training, and it was this that made him so useful to the H.I.V.E. "Team! Initiate Maneuver Mayhem!"

Hearing the shout, See-More turned and hurled forth another eye-orb, grabbing ahold of Scissors and the XL Terrestrial. "Thanks, twerp," Gizmo said, and clicked a button on his backpack. Rockets erupted from it and he darted into the sky, drawing a weapon and sending a concentrated laser blast at Jaka'za, knocking him off of his perch. "Now, Nemesis!" he shouted.

A scream echoed through the area as Nemesis, master teleporter, worked to strain the limits of her power and utilize the greatest teleportation she had ever attempted. Her power was that of matter relocation, and she focused on the dirt beneath them. Jinx's plan, perhaps influenced by the Teen Titan Terra, was to focus the soil around the soldiers of Static and clench the particles, essentially emtombing the soldiers in stone.

At least, that was the plan, and although Nemesis tried her very best, it just wasn't going to happen. A shadowy streak darted across the room, and the bladed edge of Kyd Wykkyd's cape slashed into the girl's chest. With a scream, Nemesis fell backwards, and the dirt--which had been warped above the soldiers--fell.

Private HIVE was crushed beneath it's force, assaulted with over four hundred pounds of concentrated earth. But even with such a casualty, the fight continued, and the near-elastic Paper, stretched to her limits, wrapped herself around Gizmo and brought him down to the ground.

Mammoth, having regained his strength after Branwen's attack, stood over the fallen form of Branwen. He clenched his fist, preparing to slam into her face and quite possibibly kill her...but as his hand began the dreadful descent, a black aura surrounded him, and Mammoth ceased movement.

All around the room, a similar black aura erupted in varying locations, halting the movements of the fighters and the attacks that they had released. "It's Raven!" See-More shouted, recognizing the signature powers of the Titan's witch. "Raven is here!"

"No," a hard voice spoke from a balcony. Released from their stasis, the fighters on the ground below turned, looking up at the speaker. On the balcony, Static stood, and a figure in a black robe stood next to her.

"See the evidence of the betrayal of our 'esteemed Headmistress!'" Gizmo sneered, pointing upwards. "That figure in black, whose power stopped our battle, can be no other than Raven! Static has betrayed us for the Teen Titans!"

"How quickly you judge, Gizmo," Static said smoothly, and she released her will upon the building. Careful scientific modifications had given her the ability to control every aspect of the H.I.V.E. Academy, and it was with this power that she forced the floor to move, rising upward to become a staircase. Slowly, deliberately, she descended the staircase, electric power forming around her hands. "Such a petty man you have become, working with a few of your team-mates to gain power for yourself. You betray the very institution that raised you, trained you. You incite war where their should be cooperation."

"We just want what's ours, Static," See-More said stubbornly. "You took control when our previous Headmaster, Brother Blood, was defeated. Power should have gone to the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E., who would have made every attempt to restore the original Headmistress to power. You are a tyrant, undeserving the glory you stole!"

Static did not even bother to respond. She could have easily attacked him with her electricity, or even ordered one of those loyal to her to attack him. But she went for the most demonstrative solution. She pointed at See-More with her normal hand, and the cloaked figure on the balcony raised a hand.

A blast of swirling black light shot down and slashed into See-More's chest. The optic villain, unprepared for this attack, fell to the ground, smoke coming from his single eye.

"No!" Gizmo shouted. "You bitch! You are allied with Raven, and you've just killed See-More!"

"Again, you're far too quick to judge," Static chided, and turned to the cloaked figure. "Come down here, Avatar, and show them the truth."

The woman in the black cloak, designed to obey, gradually hovered down to Static's level on the floor, her cape billowing as she did so. When she reached the floor, she removed her hood and spread apart her cape. "I am Avatar," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Born from the blood of Raven, I am to be the vessel of power." Her speech sounded so scripted, and it was obvious to so many exactly who was in control here.

"You killed Jinx, too," Gizmo said, realizing what he thought was the situation. "She came to stop you, and you had this Raven, or Avatar, or whatever you're calling her, kill Jinx."

"What have I told you about judging, Gizmo?" Static said angrily. "One might think someone as smart as you would have learned your lesson by now. This is the fate of your rebellious leader, Jinx." Static turned, pointing to Avatar, who still held her cape open. The body of Avatar began to glow that same black light she had recently shot forward, and when the light faded, there was another person standing in front of Avatar.

"Jinx?" Gizmo asked, astonished, as he walked up to the violet-haired girl who had appeared. "What happened? Why didn't you stop Static, like we planned?"

"She's not entirely listening to you, Gizmo," Static said, walking up to Jinx and placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "She's under Avatar's mind control right now...which means that she's also under mine. And your other friend seems to be in similar condition." As Static spoke these words, Gizmo turned, realizing the importance of what they meant. The green form of See-More slowly began to stand--not killed, but simply altered. The optic villain walked forward to stand next to Jinx, Static, and Avatar.

"You're brainwashing them," the mechanic said, sickened. "You're no better than Brother Blood."

"Our previous Headmaster was many things, Gizmo," Static told him, "But he was smart. He knew that the only way to successfully run a school was to control every aspect of it...and it's a plan I intend to continue."

Gizmo was running before she finished her sentence, but it was too late. From beneath Avatar's cloak came the all-too-familiar black light, racing outwards and grabbing ahold of everyone in the room. Members of the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E., the soldiers in the area, and the students were all absorbed by the light, their minds going over to Avatar. Even Gizmo, despite his initial protests, had no choice but to succumb.

"And now to take care of one last thing," Static murmered. She pointed to the pile of dirt that had fallen atop Private HIVE. "Remove this for me, Avatar," she told the powerful woman. Nodding her head, the black-haired mystic focused her will, bending her power, and released a blast of dark energy. The dirt was stripped away, dispersing to varying points around the room, leaving the battered form of Private HIVE. The headmistress walked over to her disloyal student, kneeling next to his crumpled form. "It's a pity," she said, feeling for a pulse. She found one, but it was faint. "He's comatose. But his...sacrifice gave us unity. The H.I.V.E. will rise, together, and the Teen Titans will be swiftly defeated. So says Static!"

---------------------------

"You've decided to return, Raven?" Robin asked, looking at his white-robed friend. After the catastrophic events where her father had been revived and subsequently defeated, the empathic witch had chosen to go her own way for awhile, trying to live her own life and discover what it meant to be human. It was an interesting journey for a girl who had never before known true emotion, and Robin had been concerned that she'd be hurt in the real world.

"It's time for me, Robin," she informed him assuredly. "I've tried going my own way, living among the populace, taking the name 'Rachel Roth'. But it's only one aspect of my life. No matter how much I might want to wrap myself into the identity of 'Rachel', I will always and forever be 'Raven' as well. I must embrace both aspects of myself if I want to truly be free from my father's influence."

"Then we are glad to have you back, friend Raven," Starfire said with joy as she embraced the girl. "It has been most difficult without you!"

The other Titans nodded their agreement. "So how was life as a normie, Raven?" Beast Boy asked with a wide grin.

"It was...different," the witch answered. "I've never really let myself feel before. This was definitely something new. I'm almost grateful for my father, you know. Because he came back to Earth and manipulated me, he set in motion the series of events that would lead to this new version of me. He set me free from him, in a way, by trying to control me."

Beast Boy blinked, not really knowing what to say. "Well...it's good to have you back," he said lamely. Then he looked around, cocking one of his large ears. "Do you guys hear that whistling sound?" he asked.

Cyborg looked around, turning on the sound amplifiers near his ears. "Oh no," he said softly, in shock. "Everyone, get down!"

As the Titans dove for cover, following Cyborg's instructions without even really thinking, a series of people began crashing through the windows of the Tower. Instinctively reacting to the attack, the Titans shifted into battle formation, drawing weapons and charging up their powers.

"The H.I.V.E.," Robin said with a grim look on his face as he saw who had just invaded Titan's Tower. "All of the fighters, from the looks of it. This isn't going to be fun."

"All I know," Cyborg said, the cybernetics in his arm clicking together as he activated his sonic cannon, "Is that I'm not letting anyone trash my tower again!" He aimed his arm cannon at Mammoth, releasing the concentrated blast of sound. The shockwave slammed into the giant's chest with little visible effect.

Terra's attack was somewhat more effective. Grabbing ahold of a solid chunk of land outside, she forged a boulder and brought it up through one of the hole's in the Tower's side--a result of the H.I.V.E. crashing through barely a minute ago--and slammed it into Mammoth's back, sending the behemoth flying out the other side of the Tower.

The battle began to rage almost instantly. Starfire, acting in the nature of her warrior's spirit, began flinging Starbolts at any foe she could find. Beast Boy shifted between animal forms expertly, crashing into some as a bear and slashing others as a tiger. Robin, using his great acrobatic skills, slammed his foot into the back of Gizmo while at the same time smacking Scissors with his bo staff.

Jinx stood up in the center of the battle, gathering her violet energy waves to blast at the Titan's, negating all of their luck in this fight. Without luck, the Titans would be overrun by the H.I.V.E. "You will fail now," she said, although no emotion seemed to exist in her voice. Avatar's control over her, and the rest of the H.I.V.E., still remained strong.

"I will handle her," Raven said, rising up with her white robe drifting around her. "Falter," she commanded to Jinx, releasing the brunt of her empathic powers in the form of her soul self. The white bird, containing the very essence of Raven's soul, stretched out from her body to lash out at Jinx. The pink-haired enchantress screamed as Raven attacked her, and in that moment, Avatar's control over Jinx was broken. The fact that Jinx was now unconscious made that fact of little importance, however.

The attack completed, Raven began to return to her body, but a black line lashed out from the shadows, stabbing through the soul self with complete accuracy.

Normal attacks would completely ignore the existence of the soul self, simply passing through it without any effect. But this attack was hardly normal. Lightning seemed to flash through Raven's body as the dark attack slashed through her soul self, and the form of Raven fell over, her spirit injured.

"The Teen Titans are strong," came the voice of Avatar, emerging from over Raven's crumpled body. "I had not expected you to fare so well against the H.I.V.E. Perhaps it is time for me to enter the fight at last."

"That's it, Avatar," Static said triumphantly, standing in the middle of the battle. "Destroy the Titans and bring me true victory!"

The eyes of the black-robed Avatar went hard instantly. In a flash, she spun, raising her hand and generating a spear of utter darkness. This weapon hurled forward, slamming into Static's chest and piercing her straight through. The eyes of the current headmistress went wide as she realized what had happened. Avatar...her secret weapon...her personal creation...had betrayed her. "Why?" she asked in a choking voice before falling to the ground.

"I don't feel like taking orders from you anymore," Avatar said, standing over the fallen headmistress and radiating anger. "You made me better than you thought, Static. I can function on my own now." Avatar turned, looking at the Teen Titans with a sinister smile on her face. "The H.I.V.E. is entirely beaten now, Titans," she told them. "I think it's time for us to have a little time together, don't you think?"


	6. Mark of the Avatar

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC. Avatar belongs to me, while Static belongs to Clair.

Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!

**Mark of the Avatar**

The tawny-haired Terra, former traitor and current Teen Titan, spun in reaction to the wall of darkness hurtling towards her. As her body twirled around to face this monstrosity, her hands began to exude a soft golden aura to match the glowing of her eyes. Hers was the power to control the very ground they stood upon, even from several stories up. Despite the distance, it was still childs play for her to reach out with her ability, grab ahold of the ground, and draw it upwards. Ropes of dirt and sand stretched around Titan's Tower, smashing through windows and holes in the wall to arrive near Terra almost instantaneously. Controlling their movements by the process of pure thought, the geomancer focused these earthen coils before her and conjured forth a wall of her own.

As the concussive shock that emerged from Terra's attack smashing into the dark onslaught, Avatar let out a laugh, appearing from behind the black wall. Months ago, she had been forged from the blood of Raven, the half-demon witch of the Teen Titans. Her purpose was to be that of servitude, a life of obediance and loyalty towards the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination. But an independent streak lurked beneath her silent demeanor, and Avatar was quick to lash out against her creator and take matters into her own hands.

Now, both her "parent" and "master" lay on the floor, defeated. Raven, in the midst of a psychic attack, left herself vulnerable to Avatar's own vicious strike, and her soul self was shattered. By generating a spear of darkness, the headmistress of the H.I.V.E., Static, was brought down. Drawing strength from their defeat, Avatar rose against the Titans in the aftermath of their war against the H.I.V.E. She was the final encounter, and had every intention of destroying them. Her hands, like Terra's, had a soft light to them, but unlike the golden glow possessed by the Markovian geomancer, Avatar's aura was a deep black, sharing the color of her robes. With a single wave of her hand, she released another strike, reforging the power from her wall of darkness into a telekinetic blast, pushing apart Terra's earthen blockade and sending the yellow-haired girl flying.

Swinging across the room by aid of his grappling hook, the Boy Wonder Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, caught Terra and safely deposited her to the ground. She would need a minute to recover her strength, and that was, perhaps, a minute the Titans did not have. Avatar was immensely strong, carrying all the powers of Raven amplified. Her ferocity was dwarfed only by her insanity, and she held nothing back as she brought her dark wrath down on the Titans.

With Terra and Raven down, it was time for two more to step up to the field. Starfire and Cyborg were two of the most powerful, each of them wielding forces amazing. Starfire fought with the power of starlight, while Cyborg released his torrents of sound. Their twin attacks could reduce entire monuments to rubble, but when they were hurled into the black force around Avatar, it was as if they had not even attacked at all. The force of Starfire's green starbolt blasts and Cyborg's azure beams of sound simply dispersed around the witch's shield, causing no harm to her whatsoever. But even in this seemingly hopeless situation, the Teen Titans had only just begun to fight.

Even though her shield seemed invulnerable to energy attacks, Beast Boy was willing to bet that a physical assault wouldn't be blocked off. Shifting from form to form, he repeatedly dodged her attacks and the reflected attacks of his teammates. He gambled right. In the form of a gnat he was able to pass through her shield, and while moving at a high speed he shifted once more, taking the form of a porcupine, curling up as he did so. The spiny green creature slashed into Avatar's robe, stabbing her in the back.

She screamed. Avatar had never actually felt personalized pain before--she had fed on the pain of others, yes, but it was always pleasurable to her. Quite simply, she enjoyed their suffering. The few attacks made against her were simply deflected, but here and now she felt intense pain, and she doubled over in shock. The Titans took full advantage of this opportunity.

They were on her in a flash. In most occasions, with most villains, heroes were reluctant to use full force against their adversaries--and the Titans possessed a large deal of collective power. But Avatar had tried to kill them. She released a potentially lethal attack against Static, and would have killed Terra had Robin not saved her. Raven's condition wasn't even fully known, but Avatar had done something to her, too. Given another chance, the black witch would not hesitate to release all of her force. The Titans could not afford to hold back. Not against her.

Starfire's face was savage as she plunged her hands, illuminated with destructive starbolt energy, directly into Avatar's chest. This time there would not be a shield to protect her. Avatar's skin blistered as the green energy touched her, but the Tamaranean princess was not done yet. She continued to apply pressure and energy, fully intent on killing Avatar. She was a warrior, trained to fight and kill. Avatar was her enemy, and would show no mercy if the situation was reversed. Why should she, then?

The other Titans were in similar positions. Beast Boy, in the form of a great panther, was preparing to swipe his paw and slash into Avatar's side. Robin had converted his bo staff into a sword and was poised to slash, while Cyborg had activated his finger laser. In seconds, they would all attack, and Avatar would be defeated. Their actions were abnormal, vicious. They were never like this. It was almost as if something was furthering their actions...forcing them to kill.

The witch on the floor, grinning despite her situation, revelled in their hatred. She had spawned it, and now it fueled her. Their attacks, prepared to be fully lethal, were purely representative of her power over them. And as these attacks were released...Avatar struck back.

Rays of darkness emerged from her body, slashing into the chests of each Titan and sending them backwards, each of them collapsing against the ground in pain. She rose then, her black robe glowing with the dark energy that came from her eyes. She hovered over the Teen Titans, raising the attack in her hands with vengeance. Now was the time that they would die.

"No!" came a shout, and a white spiral came flying from the distance, slapping the attack from the hands of Avatar. The black witch turned, only to see the white witch called Raven standing once more. "You will not harm them," Raven swore, white light surrounding her hands.

"You cannot stop me, Raven," Avatar said with a sinister grin. "My powers are stronger than yours. You have embraced the light...but you cannot hope to halt the darkness." She turned back to her prey, blasting the fallen Titans with her dark attack. They screamed.

"It cannot end this way," Raven whispered to herself, knowing what she must do. Her father had given her great power, but she denied it, altered her focus. But to stop Avatar, who was born from her previous, tainted form, she could not hope to triumph. Another evolution was needed...and that pained her more than anything.

She looked over towards Static, the fallen headmistress pierced by a black spear created by Avatar. Raven held her hand in the direction of the spear, touching on it's energy signature. It was so similar to her own, and it was childs play to absorb it. The spear faded, its energy drifting into her own body. Her cloak darkned almost instantly, taking on the signature blue shade that represented her somewhat darker self. The white energy on her hands also darkened until it was a sharp black. She was back.

"Avatar," Raven said, her voice thick and her power strong. Her clone turned, an amused look on her face...before she saw Raven's soul self, black once more, flying at her. A look of panic fell on her face then.

The great bird form surrounded Avatar, and while she tried her best to escape, she could not. She released her attacks, but they were futile. Avatar could not win. "You attacked my friends," came the voice of Raven from the soul self, speaking directly to Avatar's mind. "You tried to kill all of us. You are evil. You cannot remain!"

A flash emerged from where the soul self had engulfed Avatar, and the dark light surrounding the Titans slowly flowed into this nexus. They looked up, straining to see what had happened...and then, the flash vanished. Only Raven, clad in her traditional blue, remained. She looked over at her friends, a sad look on her face, and no words were needed to explain. They all knew...she was in pain once again.

There was a scuffling sound across the room, and Robin was once again reminded of Static. The villain was bleeding profusely, but she was still alive. "Raven," he said, but the witch was already moving. She knelt beside Static, her hands on the wound caused by Avatar, and slowly began her healing talents.

"The rest of the H.I.V.E. is gone," Cyborg said, peering around the room and glancing out the windows. "It looks like they just left their ruler here."

"Damn turncoats," Static murmered, trying to get up. "When I get back to the Academy, I'll--"

"You won't be getting back to your Academy, Static," Robin said, walking over and pulling an object from his belt. The handcuffs were on Static's hands almost instantly--rubber, designed to block her electricity. "I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere for a long, long time."

---------------------------

"Static is gone," Jinx was saying to the group before her. She stood at a podium in the assembly room of the H.I.V.E. Academy, addressing every student there. The other members of the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E.--Gizmo, Mammoth, and See-More--stood behind her, all of them feeling rejoiceful that they had finally won this revolution. Private H.I.V.E., their fifth ally, was missing. "Your beloved headmistress's 'plan' nearly led to our defeat. She betrayed all of us just to further her own agenda. And now, she's been beaten."

"Because of her, our teammate, Private H.I.V.E., is comatose. None of us know if he'll ever wake up again. Static has proven herself to be of great harm to the H.I.V.E. Academy for Extraordinary Young People, and we must now rebuild without her." Her eyes held that violet glow that came when she used her powers, but now it was simply a sign of her joy. She had beaten Static, and was now in control of the H.A.E.Y.P. But she didn't intend to retain that control. "We have had our share of headmasters and headmistresses. The most recent, Static, nearly led our school to ruin. Her predecessor, Brother Blood, fell because he only pursued his obsession with Cyborg instead of making our school grand. We have had failures leading us...but we have also had a success."

"The original H.I.V.E. Mistress was put aside by Brother Blood. He brainwashed us to believe she had resigned, but we know better now. For quite some time, we thought she had died. But recent evidence has shown that she is, in fact, alive. She was the greatest thing to ever happen to this school...and we must find her and return her to power if we want to survive."

---------------------------

Robin put down the phone and turned back towards his team. "Static's been put in a maximum security containment cell," he reported, "where she'll await trial. I think we can expect that she'll be in jail for a pretty serious amount of time."

"Any sign of the H.I.V.E.?" Starfire asked from where she sat on the couch with the others.

The Boy Wonder shook his head at her question, knowing that it wasn't what she would want to hear. "They've retreated to another headquarters," he told the group. "But I'm sure we'll be able to find them eventually."

Starfire nodded, understanding, but she was reluctant to voice her next question. Raven had retreated to her room shortly after Static had been taken away by the police, and they all wanted to know how she was doing...but they none of them really needed to ask that question. Raven had been given a chance at happiness, at a normal life, and she had been forced to give it all up to save the Teen Titans. There had to be some level of resentment there, and they were all afraid that the effects of this would be extremely negative. But that was a worry for another day...a new problem was soon to arise.

"If this is over, then," Terra said, rising, "then I'm afraid I've got something none of you will want to hear."

"What's that, Terra?" Beast Boy asked from where he was sprawled out on a chair, exhausted from the battle.

The tawny-haired girl looked at her green haired friend--who was, perhaps, more than just a friend--with a sad expression on her face. This would be hardest for him to hear...but it had to be said. She just wished she could do it without hurting anyone...she had caused enough hurt in her lifetime. "I'm going to be leaving the Titans," she said simply. "I'll be gone by tomorrow morning."


End file.
